1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for adding a relatively viscous liquid bloat suppressing agent such as poloxalene to granular animal feeds. The apparatus includes a vessel operable to pressurize and spray the poloxalene toward a continuously agitated quantity of the dry feed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Bloat is a disorder which affects ruminant livestock, particularly grazing cattle and sheep during the spring season when pastures of wheat or the like are lush. The seriousness of the condition is underscored by the fact that an animal can become afflicted and experience abdominal distension, severe respiratory distress, prostration and even death within a period of ten or fifteen minutes after affliction unless treatment is given. Furthermore, bloat is often sporadic in nature and can occur without warning; yet, constant surveillance over a herd of grazing animals is not feasible under normal conditions.
In recent years, the use of poloxalene for the prevention of bloat has become increasingly widespread. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,465,083 to Bartley, et al., a poloxalene preparation is disclosed comprising a polyoxypropylene-polyoxyethylene polymer having an average total molecular weight of substantially 2,850 to 3,150, and the polymer is characterized by containing about 33% by weight of polyoxyethylene together with about 67% by weight of polyoxypropylene. Such a formulation is sold under the tradename "Bloat Guard" by SmithKline Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa.
As with any medication, sufficient precautions should be undertaken to insure that each of the animals receives the correct indicated dosage of poloxalene each time the latter is to be administered. For example, an undersized dose can fail to sufficiently protect against bloat whereby further complications may be rapidly and unexpectedly encountered. On the other hand, an administered dose that is larger than indicated can pose hazards either for the animal or for the ultimate human consumer of the animal, and furthermore such an excessive dosage can be economically wasteful.
Typically, poloxalene is mixed with a carrier such as a grain product or nutramineral so that the medication may be conveniently administered on a regular basis. Poloxalene is available in either solid or liquid form, and the agriculturalist may choose the solid, granular formulation due to the relative ease of mixing the dry poloxalene with grains or other food products. However, substantial costs savings can be realized by purchasing poloxalene as a liquid in large, 450 pound shipping containers or drums.
Unfortunately, substantial difficulties are encountered when attempting to uniformly mix a quantity of viscous liquid poloxalene with a solid carrier such as grains or nutraminerals. In occasional past practice, an electric pump was connected to the shipping drum in an attempt to pump the poloxalene to a dry feed mixer, and a volume displacement meter was utilized in an effort to monitor the quantity of poloxalene added to the field. However, the electric pump must, by necessity, be relatively expensive due to the high viscosity of the liquid poloxalene. Moreover, the volume displacement meter is often inaccurate and frequently must be repaired.